Shloka 58

ध्रुवस्य तपः — देवमायाविघ्नाः, विष्णोर्दर्शनम्, स्तुतिः, ध्रुवस्थानप्रदानम्

Devanagari script

सहस्रशीर्षा पुरुषः सहस्राक्षः सहस्रपात् सर्वव्यापी भुवः स्पर्शाद् अत्यतिष्ठद् दशाङ्गुलम्

Transliteration

sahasraśīrṣā puruṣaḥ sahasrākṣaḥ sahasrapāt sarvavyāpī bhuvaḥ sparśād atyatiṣṭhad daśāṅgulam

Translation

The Cosmic Person—of a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, and a thousand feet—pervades all; having encompassed the earth on every side, He yet stands beyond it, transcending it by ‘ten fingers’.

Word by Word

• सहस्रशीर्षा: having a thousand heads
• सहस्रशीर्षा: Visheshana (Adjective of पुरुषः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र + शीर्षन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘यस्य सहस्रं शीर्षाणि’

• पुरुषः: the Person (Puruṣa)
• पुरुषः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सहस्राक्षः: having a thousand eyes
• सहस्राक्षः: Visheshana (Adjective of पुरुषः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र + अक्षि/अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘यस्य सहस्राणि अक्षीणि/अक्षाणि’

• सहस्रपात्: having a thousand feet
• सहस्रपात्: Visheshana (Adjective of पुरुषः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र + पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘यस्य सहस्रौ पादाः/सहस्राणि पादाः’

• सर्वव्यापी: all-pervading
• सर्वव्यापी: Visheshana (Adjective of पुरुषः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + व्यापिन् (प्रातिपदिक; √व्याप् (धातु) + इन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• भुवः: of the earth/world
• भुवः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुव्/भू (प्रातिपदिक; ‘भुवः’ = लोक/पृथिवी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘भू’ (earth/world)

• स्पर्शात्: from (its) contact/touch
• स्पर्शात्: Apadana (Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अपादान/हेतु (from/than touch)

• अत्यतिष्ठत्: stood beyond/overpassed
• अत्यतिष्ठत्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति + √स्था (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दशाङ्गुलम्: by ten fingers’ breadth
• दशाङ्गुलम्: Karma (Extent/measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश + अङ्गुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (measure)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Puruṣa as all-pervading cosmic person who both encompasses and transcends the world

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Supreme Puruṣa pervades the totality of the cosmos while simultaneously transcending it.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Practice seeing the Divine in all directions and beings, while remembering that the Divine is never limited by any form or world.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms immanence (sarvavyāpi) and transcendence (atyatiṣṭhat) together—key to qualified non-dualism.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Purusha

FAQs

What is the significance of the ‘thousand heads, eyes, and feet’ description in the Vishnu Purana?

It expresses Vishnu as the Cosmic Person whose powers and presence are infinite—symbolically “thousand” indicating boundlessness rather than a literal count.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Lord being both within the world and beyond it?

By stating that He pervades everything (sarvavyāpī) and still surpasses the earth by “ten fingers,” Parāśara conveys simultaneous immanence and transcendence.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is presented as the Supreme Reality who sustains and permeates the cosmos while remaining greater than the cosmos—supporting a distinctly Vaishnava view of Para Brahman.